One of the best features of the Evenflo Everystage DLX is its extended rear-facing capacity.

The child must be at least 2 years of age when in forward facing mode. Also, the top of the child’s ears must be below the top of this car seat’s headrest.

The seatbelt booster is suitable for children at least 4 years of age. Just like in forward facing, the top of the child’s ears must be below the top of the car seat’s headrest.

The EveryStage DLX would not be a prime choice for preemies because the harness system of this seat might be too big to securely hold the baby. You might be able to use this car seat once the baby weighs 7 pounds, although it claims to accommodate a baby at least 4 pounds in weight.

Will It Fit In My Car?

The Everystage DLX falls within the range of wide car seats. Using it as the only child safety seat in a car would be ideal, but fitting it in a 3-across setup would be a problem in a small vehicle.

In a minivan or in a vehicle with multiple rows of seats, this should not be placed in the upper rows so that the back window view would remain clear and so that parents could still see the other kids sitting behind this seat.

According to the manual, a rolled towel may be placed under this seat to achieve a proper recline. The problem with using cotton towels is that they tend to shrink or expand depending on the temperature or humidity so it might be better to use pool noodles.

Nonetheless, this can be a big turn off for parents who just do not feel comfortable using aftermarket products when installing a car seat for children.

EasyClick LATCH:

If you look at the reviews for this seat, you would know right off the bat that one thing you will like about it is its EasyClick LATCH system, a simple and easy to use ratcheting system that lets you get a tight and much secured installed car seat in your car.

Here is a demo video on how to use the EasyClick system. Keep in mind that this is for installation with lower anchors. And for such installation, there are lower anchor weight limits to watch out for. The Evenflo EveryStafe DLX has a lower anchor weight limit of 40 pounds. You must change the installation mode from LATCH to seatbelt when this limit is reached if you want the safety features of this seat to remain uncompromised.

How To Install The Evenflo Everystage DLX Rear-Facing With LATCH

How To Uninstall The Evenflo Everystage DLX LATCH

Digging around, I found many parents asking questions about how to release the EasyClick LATCH from the anchors when it is time for seat belt installation. Here’s what I found from the Evenflo Everystage DLX manual. It’s on page 32.

To remove the lower anchor connector assembly strap, pull red release strap. Remove the other strap on the other side of the seat from the vehicle anchor.

Reminders For The Lower Anchors EasyClick Installation:

The crotch buckle strap, must not get in the way of the lower anchor strap in the belt path. The lower anchor strap should be flat on the belt path and the lower anchor connectors are laid upward before you move the handle of EasyClick to tighten the car seat.

Recline Angles:

One of its distinctive features is the rear-facing recline angle for achieving a custom, cradled fit. This aids to minimize head slump and keeps the child’s airway open. EveryStage DLX has a “seat within the seat.” The seat itself or the main part comprised of the shell/frame is at a more upright position, while the part where the baby will be lying down is reclined.

Nonetheless, some people still have something to say about this feature. They reported that it made moving the headrest quite difficult. When lowered, the headrest is angled in and can be caught on the material at the top outer shell when it is moved up/down.

If you would need to move the headrest often (i.e. if you need to place different babies in this car seat), it might be a little annoying.

The 5 recline positions/angles can be easily read using the bubble bead level indicator.

How To Install The Evenflo Everystage DLX Rear-Facing With Seat Belt

This mode of installation follows the typical procedure. You will need to get the seat cover off to locate the correct belt path and then thread the vehicle seatbelt through it. You would not even be confused which belt path to choose because it is labeled.

After buckling the seatbelt, press down on the area where the child’s bottom will be seated as you pull and remove the slack out of the belt.

How To Install The Evenflo Everystage DLX Forward-Facing With LATCH

From the rear-facing mode, you need to correctly place the lower anchors in the forward facing belt path. It is at this step where you might spend a bit more time. You will find the EasyClick unit to be quite big that threading it through the belt path could require more effort than in the rear-facing installation.

Still, the process is much simpler and once the lower anchor straps are on the right belt path, retrieve the top tether strap from its storage and secure the child restraint. You can easily see the top tether anchors due to the red housing.

How To Install The Evenflo Everystage DLX Forward-Facing With Seat Belt

This procedure is once again similar to any other car seats installed using seatbelts. To help you, here are the instructions from the manual, page 47.

How To Convert The Evenflo Everystage DLX To Booster

You will be pleased with this product’s shoulder belt guide. You can easily thread the seatbelt through this guide and would not encounter issues regarding seatbelt retraction.

What would annoy you when converting to booster mode is the rather inadequate storage for the 5-point harness. The Everystage DLX is equipped with a little harness storage area. Other similar products have something like a door, but the storage area in EveryStage DLX is a shallow one with no door or cover. Thus, even if you can fit the length of the harness into it, the chest clip will remain hanging loose and will eventually fall.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on https://www.amazon.com/ at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

Safety

The Everystage DLX is made in the US, but with US and global components. Thus, this is not entirely made in the US, which can be an issue with some people.

EveryStage DLX, as well as other Evenflo car seats, is said to have been rigorously tested. It is side-impact tested, rollover tested and 2x structural integrity tested. It also complies with different required safety standards.

Also, this car seat is approved for airplane use.

At least two reviewers stated that the highest harness height might still not be enough as most kids might quickly outgrow the seat. In the booster mode, the highest shoulder belt guide is at 18 inches.

One parent said that the chest clip is sticky and hard to open and close.

A parent mentioned he had to dig the buckles from underneath the child when securing them. It is a normal issue for car seats, especially those without buckle tongue storage like this. However, it can easily be resolved on the side of the user simply by putting the 5-point harness on the sides before having the child seated.

The padding of the seat is thick and well regarded along with the shape of the seat.

The Everystage DLX cover is machine washable. Talking about the cover being made of breathable material, one grandparent noted that she bought this for her grandchild who runs quite hot, but the child did not complain while sitting on it. However, it will always be safe to first ensure that the child restraint is cool and clear before placing the child there. It would help to first start the car and run the A/C for a few minutes first especially in the summer.

The cup holders are dishwasher-safe. Speaking of cup holders, a parent mentioned that they can be easily removed even by the little passengers. Another reviewer mentioned that one of the cup holders in her child’s seat came loose easily while the other was super tight.

The EveryStage DLX has 2 positions for the crotch buckles (3.5 inches and 5 inches).

Be mindful of the base of the car seat as it can leave a tear in your leather upholstery. To be safe, place a mat protector.

Conclusion

Evenflo EveryStage DLX is a fairly new product in the market, at least as of writing this review. It most likely won the JPMA innovation award for its EasyClick feature.

If you are looking for a child restraint system that is easy to install using lower anchors, then you will not go wrong with this product. After all, improperly installed car seats are often the cause of injuries to children. However, there are more things apart from easy installation.

The one parent who mentioned about the sticky chest clip should not be ignored. However, it should not be a basis too for the decision to distrust its harness system since not all are having problems with it. The cup holders might be an issue to some, but it’s minor in my opinion.

The chest clip and the cup holders – these are what some parents complain about the Evenflo Everystage DLX. It surely needs a little more improvement to make it worth its price, but other car seats have far worse shortcomings than the Everystage DLX.

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